Injury Loves Company
by KrazywithaK
Summary: 15-year-old Charlie lies unconscious on a hospital bed after a tragic football injury. What he doesn't know is that his condition will bring him closer to his friends, his family, and his father. One-shot. Future setting. Yes, this is about Teen Titans. J


**Author's Note: This is a little hint of what's to come in the future, once I manage to finish my story and its sequel. Basically it's a one-shot taking a look at a character that isn't normally the easiest to write about. Enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: Don't be fooled by my reviews if you can, I still don't own those Teen Titans. (Jenny from the block, anyone? Yeah, I don't like it but I find this amusing)**

Injury Loves Company

The teen lay motionless on the cold steel cot. His heart rate was dangerously high. His normally dark skin had taken on a paler, lighter hue from the stress he was under. Beside him lay his helmet, stained green from his slide in the grass. His equipment had been removed, and now he was wearing a sweaty purple T-shirt, proclaiming Jump City Jaguars in white letters.

He hadn't even seen the opposing defensive player tackle him. Instantly he was rendered unconscious. He couldn't hear the fans chanting his name as he was dragged on a stretcher from the high school stadium "Charlie, we love you! You're our hero, Charlie." But that didn't mean these things hadn't happened. Now, here he was, in a critical state.

The specialist at the hospital returned to the room. She analyzed the teen's vital signs; checked to make sure he hadn't been hit in a place that would leave him paralyzed. Sighing, she reached into his backpack for his emergency card. His mother and father hadn't been at the game. A slip of paper fell to the floor, revealing his home address and phone number.

It also said that he was adopted.

* * *

Fall. The air hung still in the house, disturbed only by the steady pulse of the ceiling fan. He was at his desk, doing paperwork for his computer business. She was looking over the data for their stocks. That was when the phone rang.

"I'll get it." He made for the phone, then grabbed it in his cold hand. "Hello? Yes, this is he. What's wrong with Charlie?" Hearing these words come from her husband's mouth, her olive green eyes darted around in worry. "Football? You don't say. He's gonna be fine, right? Yeah, I've dealt with these kinds of injuries before. I know how it is. Thank you, ma'am. Goodbye."

"What was that about?" she demanded as soon as he hung up the phone. "What happened to Charlie during the football game? And what do you mean, you've dealt with this before?"

"Charlie's fine. Got tackled pretty hard and wound up unconscious. He's at the hospital. Don't worry," he reassured her, sensing the anger welling up inside. "They're just checking him out for, well, some stuff that could've happened if he weren't so lucky. Which he was!" he said, throwing up his hands to shield him from her coming criticism.

"Well, that's a relief." She sighed out the air she had been holding in. "But you don't seem relieved."

"He got hit pretty close to a critical spot. That wouldn't have been pretty."

"But he didn't," she repeated. Her eyes were wide with concern, but still she didn't cry. She hardly ever did.

"You don't understand, Bee," he said, shaking his head. "That lady on the phone told me that his injury and mine were…similar. If he had been paralyzed the treatment would be the same. If that tackle hit him any higher, he would've wound up…like me."

* * *

"Charlie, you have a visitor." The teen sat up shakily, his hands gripping the metal bars that ran along his cot. Standing beside the nurse was a boy with spiky purple hair, glittering green eyes, and pale skin.

"Logan!" he coughed in a raspy voice, not even close to his normal tone. "Jasper Logan. What's up?" Jasper looked happy to see him, or perhaps happy to see him moving.

"You're on the news, and in the papers. Mainly a bunch of stuff about your dad's injury and yours, being so similar." Jasper smiled, revealing his incredibly sharp canines. They still weren't as sharp as his sister's fangs, however.

"Yeah, bout my dad. I never told you this, Logan, but I'm adopted."

* * *

"_Are you sure about this?" she asked. "We would like to have kids, but the risks…"_

"_Yes. Considering that 75 of teen superhumans experience bullying, rejection, and most wind up in the streets. Might I suggest adopting?"_

"_No risk is a good risk. Better be safe than sorry. We'll adopt him," he assured the councilor._

"_Him? Don't get me started…"_

* * *

"It was an exciting day here at Jump City High School. What started out as a normal game turned into a fight for survival for one young teen football superstar. I'm here with Charlie Stone, quarterback for the Jump City Jaguars junior varsity team. How are you feeling, Charlie?" she asked, extending the microphone into the boy's face.

"Lucky, miss, real lucky. I suppose you heard the reports, right?"

"Indeed I did," she said, turning back to the camera. "Just moments ago Charlie was diagnosed with a minor injury, but that was a miracle in itself. He was tackled from behind and risked injury to his central nervous system, which could have resulted in paralysis. The head specialist was prepared to put the recent technological advancements to the test and replace the paralyzed sections with cybernetic body parts. This same treatment worked successfully on a similar case, that of Victor Stone, Charlie's adoptive father. But luckily none of this was necessary. Charlie, would you like to add anything?"

"Yes, miss," he said, holding the microphone in his sweaty palms. "The junior varsity football team has announced that they are donating all of their leftover end of season money from last year to the fund for this research. Also, I would like to thank the scientists involved in this project. Your research saved a life."

The news logo flashed on the screen once before the commercials took control. Sitting in their living room were Henry, Rainfire, Starfire, and Richard Grayson, all eager to hear news of their friend.

"He's okay!" Rain squealed with delight. She and Henry broke into a victory dance. And for a moment, all of the Titans felt like they were all in that operating room, chanting, "Charlie! Charlie!" along with the surging crowd.

**The End**

"Mom! Lynx drank my soy milk!"

"We were all out of herbal tea."

"Lynx! Jasper! This story isn't about you."

"Oh."


End file.
